Jeff was born in Cheverly, Maryland on November 28 th 1967 to parents Roy and Beulah Tillison. He came into the world two months early and fought to survive. He was the youngest of six children and as the baby of his family, his older siblings Steve, Tommy, Sherry, Cindy and Kelly were in charge of looking after him. They called him Wayne-boo and he was as cute as could be. Always mischievous and rambunctious, he followed in the footsteps of his older brother Kelly – a trait that continued throughout his life.
A happy child, Jeff only wanted to laugh even through being born at a chaotic time and into a chaotic family dynamic. He would face adversity from the very beginning, experiencing a traumatic fall at the age of two that nearly took his life. Growing up would prove to be difficult as events not of his making scarred him in ways few could understand. But through it all, Jeff always found a way to meet life’s challenges head on. As he grew into a young man, Jeff became a responsible and hardworking individual who made necessary sacrifices for his future.
Jeff met Melinda in 1992 and three years in later in 1995 they got married and had their first child Briana. In 1997, their son Jeffery Jr. was born and four years later in 2001 they had their last child, Savannah. From then on Jeff worked retail jobs to support his family. Although he separated from Melinda in 2009, he made sure to keep a strong relationship with his children’s mother. He was a very hard worker and did everything he could to provide for his children. Jeff loved spending time with his children, as they were a very important part of his life. He would often take them on trips to the beach or to Disney World. Jeff’s other hobbies included: playing with his dog Nina, watching football, having breakfast with friends and cooking for his family.
Jeff was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer of the colon and liver in 2017. He was given only less than a year after the diagnosis and fought for just over two, surprising even his doctors. He fought hard and even kept working forty hours a week until the very end. He lost his battle on April 23 rd 2019. And although he was given only a few minutes left on his final day, his heart kept beating strong and he held on for over two hours. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family.
In many ways, Jeff was a happy go lucky guy. His greatest accomplishment being his three children. He was loved very much by every person who was blessed to have him in their lives and he will be missed very dearly. Jeff’s life came with trails and it came with blessings but every good story must have an ending. He is finally with his mother Beulah again.